Since its inception seven years ago, the Hidden Jazz Club has grown in influence and reputation with one key distinguishing feature – at time of booking the lineup is not available and only becomes so a day or two before the gig. This allows them to amplify the music of new musicians who play at small, intimate venues across London.
On the Thursday before Christmas, the Dalston 606 team arrived at Hoxton Hall in east London. It’s an unassuming venue from the outside but hummed with excited chatter as we entered.
Our host was co-founder Theo Jackson, who welcomed the audience with verve and vigour. His pitch was that expectations lead to disappointing gigs. Going to see Emmet Cohen is terrific, but if he’s not at his ethereal best you may leave feeling short-changed. The Hidden Jazz Club aims to deliver a more exciting, spontaneous experience by rotating lineups, shifting venues and inviting young, talented musicians to the stage.
The unique lineup included a trumpet-led quartet, with occasional vocals, interspersed with solo piano and voice performances from Theo Jackson himself.
The music began with a rendition of John Lennon’s Happy Xmas. Audrey Powne on the trumpet delivered the melody with a warm tone before embarking on a gentle, wandering solo. The rhythm section sounded tight and punchy throughout. The arrangement then took a twist when the keyboard player, Tomasz Bura, launched into a harmonically complex synth solo, a little more reminiscent of a psychedelic Christmas than a happy one.
Sadly this turned out to be a recurring theme, as promising performances were marred by brash keyboard solos which clashed with the style of the rendition.
Other festive arrangements followed – Vince Guaraldi’s Christmas Time Is Here, Little Drummer Boy and an intriguing minor arrangement of Jingle Bells.
Vibrant and energetic solos from Matt Gedrych on double bass were a feature throughout and stole the show during Monk’s Straight, No Chaser. Rhythm-section partner Myele Manzana was also commanding on the drums, pushing each piece along with tenacity and precision.
After a brief interval, Theo Jackson returned to the stage to perform two of his own pieces. He has a wonderfully expressive playing style on the keyboard which complements his voice well. In our favourite of the two compositions, Jackson poeticised his thoughts on motherhood, speaking in rhymes over broad and bright chords. The piece then picked up pace as he transitioned to singing with power before returning to his warm Alfa Mist-style.
The evening’s final flourish was delivered by the impressive Zola Marcelle, who sang There Will Never Be Another You. A final few words from Jackson brought the event to a cheery close before we all withdrew to the pub for a festive drink!
To conclude, we felt at times there was a lack of synergy within the group which manifested in some laboured key changes and contrasting solo styles. In his opening address, Theo Jackson put a positive spin on how little time the band had had together prior to performance; this was certainly evident at times.
However, the idea of the Hidden Jazz Club is a sound one and they have a strong following. We will certainly be back, if anything just to enjoy new avenues of jazz and an exciting roster of promising musicians.
Dalston 606 creates and sells a range of jazz-inspired prints, available both online and through retailers such as John Lewis